Knitting-machine.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1903'.

G. D.. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 4. 1902. y l

No MODEL.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

eargel). gym

vW-unssesfr enlor.

. PATENTED APR. 2l, 1903.

G. D. MAYO. u y

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 4, 1902` 16 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

y Lwenzr: l Gforgejlfago.

mi Noims PETEns en.. wow-umu.. wmuawn. n. r:v

vPATENTED APR.A 21, 1903.

No. 726,178.y

l Gr. D. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED Dm. 4. 1902.

' N0 MODELV 16 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f mekaar.- l Geo'rgaMayo, y

Tn: Norms PETERS ce.. Puomumov, wAsHiNGToN, o. c'.

PATENTED A PR, 21', 1903.

y G. D. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE. APP-LIOATIONFILBD DBO. 4, 1902.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

N0 MODEL.

w: uon'ms PETERS co.. vwowum.. wAsm'Nn-ro No. '7216,1'78. PATENTBD APR, 21', 1903. G. D. MAYO.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION P ILED DEO. 4. 1902.

KO MODEL. 16 SHEETS-SHEET 6V 71o. lo I. l ,200 I" .26. 21 'a A m 167 Y 1J. f4 zaza Q f-Jflglz.

W/inesses Lweno'r:

- z, GeorgelJ/[aya w: Nonni: armas co. Har-uws.. WASHING-rom n, c.

1ro nonni..

PATBNTED APR. 21, 190s.

G. D. MAYO.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPILIUATION FILED DB0. 4. 1902.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

Y APlfavjtncsseas: MQMM 1mb-mf. eorgellfago,

PATENTBDAPR. 21', 1903.

No. '726,178. n

l G. D. MAYO.

KNITTING MAGHINB.`

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 4, 1902.

16 SHEETS-slum s.

' F0 MODEL.

Geoyer. y f

No. 726.178. K

PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

G. D. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO. 4. 1902.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 9'.

.NO MODEL.

PATENTED APR. 21, 1903. G D MAYO KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DLO. 4. 1902. No MODEL. 1e SHEETS-SHEET 1o.

Noam Prrsns co., PNoToAuwo., wAsNmm'oN. Dv c.

No. 726.178. y PATENTED APR. 2l, 1903.

G. D. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 4| 1902. v

N0 MODEL. l Y Y 16 SHEETS-SHEET 11.-.

l/lmsses: y Inventor.-

= M u Georgejlgo m) @w y QM@ Np. 726,178. y l n PATBNTED M1121, 199s.

' n G. D. MAYO.

KNITTING MACHINE'.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 4. 1902.

N0 MODEL. I 16,SHEETS-SHEBT 12 Jaz N WMA lo /71 1.7/1 al l@ Mg as? 4 Y:l r//f/ if. l) I1oz' S g n 103 ma W 165 1,56 'Ima VVbsses: Lzvnl'or."

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No. 726,178. v PATENTED APR. 2l, 19.03.v G. D. MAYO. KNIT'IING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEOr 1902.

1e SHEETS-SHEET 1a.

N0 MODEL.

PATBNTED APR. 21. 1903.

.G. om 7 In 6 2 7 n. N

KNITTING MACHINE.

APDLIOATION FILED DEG. 4. 1902.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 14.

, N0 MODEL.

, Pl/i'incsses:

N. '726,178. PATBNTED APR', 21', v190s.

. G. D. MAYo.

KNAITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION IILED DEO. 4. 1902. No MODEL. 1s SHEETS-SHEET 15.

fl Il Illllllllllll Il PATENTBD APR. 21, 1903.

G. yD. MAYO. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIGATI'ON FILED Dnc. 4. 1902.

`us SHEETS-SHEET 16.,

N0 ODEL.

" Irwenor: CcorgqJl/[agm skeleton-cylinder' bars.

UNITED STATES* .PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. MAYO, OF FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

KNITTING-MACHmE.

SPECIEICATION forming par@ of Letters Patent No. 726,178, dated April 21, 1903.

I u Application filed December' 4, 1902. Serial No. 133.823. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may oorhwernf:

Be it known thatjIg'GnoRGE'D. MAYO, a Acitizen of the United States; residing at Franklin, in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hamsphire, have invented an Improve,

ment in Knitting-Machines, of'which the fol.'-

lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention aims to simplify and improve knitting-machines, the invention being particularly useful in connection with circularknitting machines employed in the knitting of seamless hosiery.

To enable my invention to be understood, I will first describe, in connection with the accompanying drawings,a machine illustrating one embodiment thereof, it being understood, however, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a frontelevation ofacircular-knittingmachine, illustrating one embodiment of my invention, the legs of the machine, also the supports for the thread-guides and tension device, being broken out to economize space upon the drawings. Fig. 2 isaleft-hand side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the knitting-head of the machine, showing the needle, skeleton, and sinker cylinders, the cam-carrier, and the immediate associated parts. Fig. 4 in side elevation, partially broken away, shows the skeleton cylinder and the manner ofbnilding up the same. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail of Fig. 4, taken on the dotted line 5 5 thereon. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional detail of Figs. et and 5, the section being taken on the irregular dotted line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective detailshowing the formation of the inner holding-ring of the skeleton cylinderin which the bars are placed and clamped. Fig.v Sis'a perspective detail of the lower end ofrone of the removable Figs. 9 and lO are developed views .of the cam carrier and stitch-formingcam-surfaces and pickers. In Fig. 91 lthe picker G2 is in posit-ion at the right of the stitch-forming cam, while Fig. 10 shows the other picker 6l in position at the left of 'left of Fig. 3.A y o f Figs. 3 and 12. ing vthe segment 50 and switch-cam shaft 48.

y from the right.

the said stitch-forming cam.v Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on the dotted line 11 11, Fig. 3, looking downward. Fig. 12 is a side elevation ofI Fig. 3 looking from about the Fig. 13 is a top plan View Fig. 14 is a detail show Fig. 15 is a sectionl on the dotted line 15 15, Fig. 3, looking upward. Fig. 16 is a detail of a part of Fig. 12, showing' the T-shaped lever 74a in abnormal position. Fig. 17 is a view looking'at the face of the picker-guide, showing the pickers in position, the View illustrating the actionof the guide upon the pickers. Fig. 18 isa sectional detail on the dotted line 18 18, Fig. 15, showing the short shaft 80 mounted in the bed-plate. Fig. 19 is a sectional detail showing the pattern-shaft and parts mounted thereon. Fig. 20 is a detail in perspective, showing one of the sinkers detached. Fig. 21 is a top plan view of the sinker-cylinder. Fig. 22 is a cross-section of Fig. 21, the section being on the dotted line 22. Fig. 23 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the main shaft 40 and parts mounted thereon. Fig. 24 is a detail in side elevation, partially broken away, showing the-frame portion of the machine with the various parts mounted therein. Fig. 25 is a sectional detail showing a part of the frame and with the means for actuating the pattern-shaft and multiplier mechanism; Fig. 26, a detail illustrating the friction means for controlling the movements of the pattern and multiplier wheels. Figs. 27, 28, and 29 are dtails showing the belt-shipping lever in different positions; Fig. 30, a sectional detail showing some of the parts shown in Fig. 25, the view being broken away to show the manner of mounting the multiplier-ratchet wheel and withlhe pawl 178 in different position. Fig. 31 shows the clutch-lever-operating wheel developed; Figs. 32 and 33, cross sectional details through the stitch-forming cam, showing the latter in its different positions; Fig. 34, a detail showing the patternsprocket and a part of its chain and the multiplier-ratchet. Fig. 35 is a sectional detail looking at the pattern-cylinder 101, Fig. 19, Fig. 36 shows the peripheral surface of the pattern-cylinder 35 developed;

Fig. 37, a sectional detail on the dotted line 37 37, Fig. 23; and Fig. 38, a detail to be referred to.

Referring Iirst to Fig. 3, the needle-cylinder 1 is of usual construction, but is shorter than has been customary heretofore, it being slotted vertically at its outer face to receive the needles n n of the usual latch'type and provided, respectively, with heels n', which are acted upon by the various cams to cause elevation and depression of the needles at the proper times in well-known manner. Preferably the butts of the needles throughout one half of the needle-cylinder are longer than the butts of the remaining needles to facilitate elevating ouehalf of the needles for the widening and narrowing processes. The needlecylinder here shown surrounds a suitable carrier-cylinder 2, which is shaped to furnish a continuous ring-like support for the bottom of the needle-cylinder, thereby insuring stability of the latter while the machine is in operation. This carrier 2 is provided at one side with a depending lug 3, rigidly attached to the top of a verticallymovable supporting-rod 4, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which rests at its lower end upon a suitable adjustable support, shown as an adjusting-screw 5,tapped into the base-plate A of the machine-frame.

The needle-cylinder carrier 2 is guided in its vertical movements by the tubular bearing 6,depending from the bed-plate B of the machine-head, and by the supporting-rod bearing 7, Fig. 2, adjustably mounted upon the frame base-plate A. The wide separation of the depending guide 6 and the sup- A porting-post guide 7'permits the cylindersupport and its bearings to be made suiiicienily free for easy vertical movement of the needle-cylinder without danger of any detrimental looseness or wabbling.

Surrounding the needle-cylinder is a skeleton cylinder S, between the bars S of which project the heels 'n' of the needles to be guided thereby. Skeleton cylinders in machines heretofore constructed have usually been formed by setting up Ithe bars in a mold and casting the base about them, thus forming a rigid cylinder none of the bars of which are removable apart from the others. My invention com prehends a skeleton cylinder the bars of which are removable, so that in case of damage to any one or more of the bars the damaged bar or bars may be removed without destroying or taking down the cylinder as a whole and without removingthecylinderfrom the machine.

Referring to Figs. lto S, inclusive, the

skeleton-cylinder bars 8 are su pported at their lower ends in vertical slots 9 in the exterior face of a ring 10, (see Fig. 3,) supported upon the bed-plate B. Surrounding the ring 10 and also the lower ends of the bars 8 is an outer ring 1l, also resting upon the bed-plate.

Both the bars S and the separating ring portions 12 are shown as transversely grooved or recessed at their outer faces, as at 13, Figs. 6, 7, and S, to receive the lips 14 upon the clamping and locking segments 15, seated in the said outer ring 11. These 'clamping and locking segments 15 may be made to embrace any desired number of bars, and they are severally clamped in position by screws 16, tapped into the said ring 11. The outer faces of the locking-segments 15, which are acted upon by screwsl, are inclined upward and inward, and the axes of the clamping-screws 16 may also be inclined inward and downward, it' desired, so that when the said screws are set up against the said segments the latter will be clamped downward as well as inward against and upon the cylinder-bars 8. This tends to seat and hold the said bars more firmly than would be the case were there simply an inward clamping action. Obviously should any bar become damaged it may be readily removed by releasing the clam ping and locking segment 15,which holds it in position, and the release of any one bar involves the release only of such other bars as are clamped and locked by the same segrnentand which would vary according to the lengths of the segments. The separating portions 12 of the said inner ring 10, Fig. 7, are shown as provided at their lower ends with radially-extended foot portions 17, which underlie an inwardly-extending lip 18 upon the said outer ring 11, and the latter in turn is permanently secured, as by screws 19, to the bed-plate B. Thus the said inner and outer rings 10 11, together with the bars 8, held thereby, are permanently secured to the bedplate, so that all the bars of the skeleton cylinder, excepting such as are temporarily released forthe removal of one or more damaged bars` remain permanently locked in position in the machine. There is therefore no liability of inadvertently lifting or displacing all the perfect bars while removing and renewing damaged ones.

At their upper ends the skeleton-cylinder bars S are spaced and positioned bya device 20, resembling a crown-toothed gear, the teeth of which enter the spaces between the said bars and hold the latter permanently and positively spaced. This crown-toothed spacing-ring 2O is in turn inclosed in and held by the crown-ring 21, the depending flanges 22 of which overlie not only the outer and inner faces of the spacing-ring 20, but also the upper end portions of the bars 8. Thus the said bars are locked at their upper ends not only against radial but also against lateral movement, the whole structure going to make up a skeleton cylinder at once as firm and rigid as though cast in a single base or otherwise made integral, as heretofore, yet which when necessary permits of the removal of any number of bars less than the whole number by simply removing the crown-ring 21 and spacing-ring 2O and releasing one or more of the locking and clamping segments 15. l

Surrounding the skeleton cylinder S is the IOO IIO

rotatable cam-carrier C, which is seated upon the top of the outer skeleton-cylinder ring 1l, heretofoie'referred to. This cam-carrier carries the needle-operatingy cams or cam-surfaces and is shown developed in Fig. 9.

As many needle-operating cams or groups of cams are provided as there are feeds to the machine, and in the machine shown I have provided for a single feed to take a single thread or group of threads, although a plurality of feeds may be used, if desired.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, at the right thereof the cam-carrier C is cut away sufficiently to receive the cam-plate 24, the ends of which overlap the adjacent walls of the carrier at the sides -of said cut-away portion, in which they are seated and to which they are secured insuitable manner, as by the screws 25, accessible at the exterior of the said carrier. This cam-plate 24C has a V- shaped central recess, the side walls 26 of which constitute needle-elevating cam-surfaces. Centrally arranged within this V- shaped recess is the V-shaped needle-depressing cam 27, presenting the needle-depressing cam-surfaces 28, which are opposed, respectively, to the needle-elevating cam-surfaces 26, leaving between them a' track in which the heels of the needles may travel. The needle-depressing vcam 27 is provided at its upper portion with laterally-extended guidingears 29, which overlie the top of the cam-carrier and serve to control the needles as they approach and leave the cam-surfaces 26v and 28.

The ends of the guiding-ears 29 are pointed to provide surfaces 30 and 31, which aid in depressing and lifting the needles during narrowing and widening, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

ln the regular continuous rotation of the cam-carrier for straight circular knitting the needle-heels rest upon the top of the cam-carrierrO, are engaged at each rotation of the said carrier by the leading needle-depressing camsurface 28, and are depressed thereby to cause their needles to engage the knitting thread or threads and pull the same inloop form downward through the loops previously formed and held by the needles. As the heels of the depressed needles pass under the depressing-cam 27 they engage and ride up the needle-elevating cam-surface 26, which is beyond, and thereby elevate their needles to cause the Shanks thereof to rise through the newly-formed loops preparatory to the formation of new loops. a

The path between the needle elevating and depressing cam-surfaces, as will appear from Fig. 9, is always open for the passage therethrough of the heels of the needles in either direction, and whatever be the direction of travel the needle-heels are acted upon and depressed by the said cam, thus insuring absolute uniformity of stitch in both directions of travel of the cam-carrier. This is not obtainable in practice with machines where separate depressing-cams are employed for opposite movements of the cam carrier. Furthermore, excepting to facilitate the transfer of work to the machine, the said depressingcam 27 'remains iixedly and permanently in position. Thus my machine is'not open to any of the objections or difficulties which inevitably accompany the use of pivoted, swinging, or otherwise movable depressing-cams which require to be shifted at each reciprocation of the cam-carrier during narrowing and widening. My invention therefore not only greatly simplifies the first construction, but renders the machine 1n uch more durable and certain' in operation.

To facilitate transfer of work, the needleis mounted to slide radially in a suitable guideway upon the outwardly projecting base-flange of the cam-carrier and is provided. with suitable means, as the lever 32, Fig. 11 fulcrumed at33 upon the said carrier, whereby the said depressing-cam may be withdrawn or removed from the path of the needle-heels when desired and without necessarily changing the direction of relative movement between the needle and cam to avoid depressing the needles and permit the said needles to be raised into one and the same elevated plane for transfer-of work. I have herein provided a spring 34 to move the lever 32, so as to maintain the said depressing-cam normally in its innermost needle-engaging position, and when-it is desired to elevate all the needles for transfer of work the said lever is pressed inwardly by the operator to withdraw the depressing-cam to permit the cam-carrier to be rotated sufficiently to elevate the depressed needles, after which the said depressing-cam may be released to permit its said spring to move it inwardly against the heels' of the raised needles, against which it rests until the transfer has been completed. When the machineis again set in operation, the said depressing-cam travels around, pressing upon /the heels of the needles, until it reaches the leading needle of the long-heel series, when the leading needle-depressing cam-surface 28 will engage said long-heel needles and 'will depress the same successively until` the depressing-cam has traveled beyond and has cleared the series of short-heel needles, when it springs inwardly to its normal position close to the shanks of the needles, where it will thereafter engage and depress infregrular order the heels of all the needles of both series. Thus whereas in machinesfasheretofore constructed, so far as knownrto me, it has been necessary when transferring to positively and manually operate the cams or needle-operating devices not only at the beginning, but also at the end of the transfer operation, with my construction as here shown after the depressing-cam has been Withdrawn to permit of theraising of the -needles to a depressing cam 27 (see Figs. 9, 10, and 11)` uniform level the said cam thereafter land automatically at the proper"'tirne resumes its` IOO IIO

ISO

proper operative position, requiring no fmt ther attention from the operator.-

To rotate the cam-carrier, I have provided the same, Fig. 11, at its periphery with a pair of preferably cushioned lugs 35 36, between which stands an operating-arm 37, fast on the gear-ring 38, which surrounds the cam-carrier and is seated in the bed-plate B, in which it is freely rotatable. This gear-ring is driven by a bevel-gear 39, Fig. 3, fast on the main shaft of the machine, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) which shaft 'is journaled in suitable bearings in the uprights a ct of the frame. As the gearring is rotated it operates through the arm 37 and one of the lugs 36, referred to, to push before and with it the cam-carrier C, causing the latter to act upon the needles, as described. Upon the gear-ring 38 at a point in the vicinity of the depressing-cam 27 stands a post 41, (see Figs. 3, 11, 12, and 13,) and to thegtop of this post is hinged at 42 the usual latch ring 43, which surrounds the upper hooked ends of the needles, said ring being provided at its side opposite thehin ge 42with a projecting arm 44, which when the said latchring is down enters a recess therefor provided in the upper end of a post 45, also mounted upon the cam-carrier 38, but at a point thereon diametrically opposite the post 41.

The posts 41 and 45 carry, respectively, the horizontally-arranged yielding or spring-controlled holddown-pins 41, which at their inner ends overlie the crown-ring of the skeleton cylinder and hold the latter down in its proper position upon the crown-toothed ring which surmounts the removable skeleton-cylinder bars.

The latch-ring at a point adjacent the post 41, Figs. 3 and 13, is provided with a threadguide 4G, through which the thread is con- -ducted to the needles within the said ring. In the operation of the machine this threadguide should be always slightly in advance of the leading needle-depressing surface 28 of the depressing-cam 27, so that it may deliver its thread to the successive needles slightly in advance of the depression thereof.

Referring to Fig. 11, with the arm 37 in position against the lug 35 to rotate the camcarrier in the direction of the arrow thereon, said thread-guide 46, while not shown in said figure, but which is opposite the vertical center of the post 41, occupies a position slightly in advance of the leading edge of the needledepressing surface 28 of the stitch-cam 27 (see Fig. 10) to deliver the thread to each needle immediately before it is depressed. In narrowing and widening, however, when the cam-carrier reciprocates first in one and then in an opposite direction it is necessary to shift this thread-guide 46 from one to the opposite side of the needle-depressing cam 27, so that the thread will always be delivered to the needles slightly in advance of the depression thereof irrespective of the direction of movement of the cam-carrier. To accomplish this, I have separated the lugs 35 36 on the cam-carrier to provide a lost motion between the gear-ring 38 and the said cam carrier C, which causes the said gear-ring upon reversal ofits movement to travel a given distance sufficient to shift the thread-guide 4G automatically from one to the other side of the depressing-cam 27 before lthe said camcarrier is engaged and rotated with the gearring, thus insuring correct position of the thread-guide at all times, whether the camcarrier be rotated continuously in one direction or reciprocated in opposite directions.

In narrowing and widening, as for the formation of the heel and toe of a stocking, it is necessary rst to raise approximately one half the needles above the path of movement of the depressing cam-surfaces and to operate by reciprocatory movement of the cam-carrier upon the remaining half of the needles only. It is further necessary during such reciprocations of the cam-carrier Erst t`o raise one needle at each reciprocation or change of direction of movement of the said carrier during the narrowing process, thereby gradually to shorten the successive coursesknit,and forsubsequent widening to depress or bring again into operation one or more needles at each reciprocation of the cam-carrier for the gradual lengthening of the successive courses knit until the heel or toe has been completed. The raised needles are then brought again to an operative level for the resumption of circular knitting. To accomplish this, I have mounted upon the gear-ring (see Fig. 11) a bearing 47, in which is mounted a short horizontal shaft 48, provided at its inner end (see Fig. 9) with a laterally-extended switch-cam 49, which normally stands in elevated position, as shown in dotted lines, in which position during circular knitting it travels above and clears the heels of all the needles. At its outer end the said short shaft 48, Figs. 11, 13, and 14, has formed therein a segmental series of teeth, which are engaged by a toothed segment 50, pivoted at 51 to the side of said bearing 47 and provided with a laterally-extended arm 52, which carries an outwardly-projecting pin 53, adapted to be engaged at the proper times by suitable operating means upon the bedplate of the machine. In the present instance for such operating means I have provided a vertical shaft 54, (see Figs. 11 and 15,) journaled in said bed-plate and provided with oppositely-extended lifting and pulldown cam-surfaces 55 56. When the said shaft 54 is turned into its dotted position, Fig. 11, to swing its pull-down cam-surface 56 into the path of travel of the pin 53, said pin will engage said cam-surface and travel downward thereon and will thereby turn its segment 50 to throw the switch-cam into its depressed or full-line position, Fig. 9, with its point slightly below the top of the IOO IIO

cam-carrier and of course below the needle- In this position said 

